I picked questions #1. Are pride and greed major
causes of conflict in the world? Assess and evaluate Lear’s demand for dividing
of the kingdom, and the motivations of the three sisters. What is it
about Lear’s character which makes him demand what he
does? What do you think of each sister’s reactions to their father’s
demand? Is any sister justified in how she reacts? Refer to
specific lines when giving evidence. How do you see these types of
situations playing out in the world either historically or today?
King Lear judges his daughters on quantity, not quality. What is Cordelia's problem anyway? She could be completely honest when she says that she is speaking the truth, but some might think that she has a stubborn streak. She might be like her father. Others might think that she is gambling, thinking that her honesty will give her a bigger inheritance. We have not seen enough of Cordelia's character to judge. Goneril and Regan were willing to play the king's little game. King Lear is not satisfied with her reply:
Lear: So young, and so untender?
Cordelia: So young, my lord, and true.
Neither of them will compromise. It is all or nothing. The King shows rage and violence. He banishes the Earl of Kent, and does not back down. This shows a great deal of his character. He is the King, and "kings" are used to getting what they want, and if they don't, then they need to show that they are still in command.
Goneril and Regan show their true sides when Cordelia bids farewell to them. She knows what they are like as she states to Goneril and Regan:
Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides:
Who cover faults, at last shame them derides.Well may you prosper!
Today, many of our conflicts derive from pride and greed. The Holocaust, Suddam Hussein, or even drugs to enhance sports.
But back to Cordelia. The author Samuel Coleridge stated that there is a "mixture of pride and sullenness in her 'Nothing'" response. So what do you think?
